Knitting isn't so hard… sometimes

Tag Archives: afghan

This is a totally selfish post, with really very little value to you as a reader. But I’m very excited about finishing my Call The Midwife-inspired afghan! (If you don’t remember what I am talking about, you can catch up here, here and here.)

I used up almost all my leftover yarn from my many years of making socks. It’s nothing more than a simple granny square blanket, whip stitched together. I added a tiny single crochet edging to give the blanket a little more strength, since I plan on using it all the time as soon as the temperature drops out of the 60s (the 60s are “Summer Weather” out here in Seattle. I was wearing shorts the other day, and my husband and I were going out to do some errands when he asked if I needed a jacket or something. I said “No, I’m good. It’s still plenty warm. It’s not supposed to get below 65 today.” This is still weird to me, coming most recently from Austin, where if the temperature dropped to the 60s, you broke out the sweaters. But I digress.)

Anyhoo, the blanket is kind of hideous, but I love it. It’s mostly wool, so it’s really cozy, despite being fairly thin. It’s just about the right size to fit over your lap when you’re sitting on the couch watching TV. And I think it’s pretty delightful.

If the sun’s out in Seattle, you’re pretty much required by law to spend your day outside. So, I decided to sit out in the yard with a nice iced coffee and a pile of granny squares and sew them together. Not a bad afternoon.

After an hour or two of work and a few chapters of my most recent audiobook…

They’re nowhere near an entire blanket yet, but they’re a start. It’s going to end up being possibly the tackiest blanket ever (since I’m using up all my sock leftovers from over the years, and I tend to knit brightly colored socks), but I’m kind of OK with that. It’ll be a nice project to work on a little at a time, whenever my bowl of sock yarn leftovers gets too full.

Want to make your own blanket like Chummy’s? It’s super easy (and satisfying) to make granny squares from your scrap yarn.

I made you a video! (I even figured out how to and sound and a title! I’m still not sure about editing and stuff yet. Next time, I’m thinking special effects, background music and unicorns. Some day, I will become the Steven Spielberg of knitting/crochet videos.)

Now, if you’ve read any of this blog, you know that I have a major thing for costume dramas. I don’t know why, but I think they’re just great. And “Call the Midwives” is one of my favorites. The stories are great, the costumes and sets are beautiful, and I want to be friends with all of the characters.

Also (and possibly most importantly…just kidding) the characters are all involved in “handicrafts,” and are always making things. Chummy sews, the nuns knit toys for charity, etc. The makers of the show (the director? the producer? I don’t know about these things) are really good at making sure that the actors know what they’re doing. For example, when the character knits, the actor doesn’t just wave her needles around like someone in a cartoon.

I was very excited when the creation of an afghan was a major plot point of the Season 2 finale. Until I saw this:

And this:

Holy anachronism, Batman! If you’ve done any fiber arts, you can probably recognize that the blanket squares the ladies are making are Granny Squares. These are super-traditional, basic building blocks of many afghans. And the number 1 thing about them, is that they are CROCHETED. Not knitted.

You can’t just go to the store and buy Granny Squares. So, the props department for the show must have gone through the trouble of crocheting all the squares, then decided that it would look better on camera if they were stuck on knitting needles in the show. Blows my mind. (But maybe that’s why I’m not a props director.)

Anyway. I’ll get off my soap box now. *Deep breath*

Despite the clear issues with the knitting vs. crochet thing, the story that accompanied the blanket was just beautiful. (If you missed it, Chummy ends up in the hospital, and all the women of Nonatus House band together and put together the blanket for her.)

Jenny and Sister Juliene deliver the blanket, and through the magic of love (doesn’t that sound like something the narrator would say?), Chummy wakes up and everyone is happy and healthy again. Awww.